More of the Globe’s Sea Turtles Are Doing Swimmingly!

Here’s some welcome news about many of the world’s at-risk sea turtles. A major study, “Updated global conservation status and priorities for marine turtles,” published in the  Endangered Species Research journal on April 17 2025, and reported by AP, reveals that sea turtle populations are rebounding in over half of the world, thanks to protection measures and conservation efforts.

A Deeper Dive Into the Research Findings
Research scientists examined 48 populations of sea turtles around the globe, measuring the impact of hunting, pollution, coastal development, climate change, and other threats on these marine animals. Significantly, in over half of the areas studied, they found that these threats are declining.

On a positive note too, while green turtles remain critically endangered globally, the researchers found that  populations are showing signs of recovery in multiple world regions: “By ending commercial harvests and allowing them time to rebound [in coastal waters off parts of Mexico and the US], their populations are now doing really well” explains study co-author, Michelle María Early Capistrán, a Stanford University researcher who has undertaken fieldwork in both countries.

According to the Oceanic Society blog, this study is the most comprehensive evaluation to date of the status of sea turtle populations and the worldwide threats to them. Led by the IUCN’s Marine Turtle Specialist Group, with support from the Oceanic Society’s State of the World’s Sea Turtle (SWOT) program, the analysis reflects the efforts of nearly 150 experts across 50 countries. And the findings chart real progress: Over 40 percent of the assessed sea turtle populations are now considered “Low Risk—Low Threat”, a dramatic improvement on just 23 percent in 2011.

Vulnerabilities remain, however. While sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean are more likely to be bouncing back than turtles in Pacific waters, leatherback turtles, considered at risk of extinction, and in some areas, critically endangered according to the WWF, are not flourishing as some other species are.

All of the seven regions where leatherbacks are located face high environmental risks according to study lead author and wildlife ecologist, Bryan Wallace. These turtles make  the longest-known marine migrations of any animal, with some swimming up to 3,700 miles (almost 6,000 kilometers) each way. This is an exertion that moves them through a wide swath of regions, Wallace observes, which may expose them to unique risks.

Conservationists are Successfully Tackling Some of the Threats to Sea Turtles
Conservationists are proud of the positive impact of conservation endeavors: “These findings showcase the incredible impact of conservation efforts worldwide,” said Wallace. “It’s a testament to the dedication of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to protect these ancient marine species,” he tells the Oceanic Society.

Capistrán emphasizes the laws and conservation measures that have helped sea turtles. Legal protection was advanced by the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, and Mexico’s decision to ban the capture of sea turtles in 1990. In parallel, conservationists have strategically  focused on nesting beaches and habitat protection, minimizing both light pollution that confuses baby turtles searching for the ocean, and plastic waste in coastal zones. They have also worked to reduce accidental bycatch in fishing over a sustained period. However it has taken decades for the fruits of these actions to be reflected in population trends.

Wallace warns that accidental entanglement in fishing gear remains a serious threat to the lives of sea turtles. It is crucial, he asserts, that the new technologies being developed to spare turtles become widely accepted and used by diverse fishing communities in order to really make a difference.

In the study abstract, the authors also point out that the “survey results underscore the importance of context-specific planning to effectively target limited conservation resources.”

The Helping Hand of Citizen Science
It is worth highlighting the value of “citizen science,” the respected involvement of lay concerned people in sea turtle monitoring efforts, as the following post from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation emphasizes:

Speaking to NOAA Fisheries, an official website of the US Government, Jeffrey Seminoff, one of its research scientists, salutes the changing values of next-gen people in boosting the increasing numbers of sea turtles. For them, turtles aren’t commodities to hunt and eat, but parts of a marine ecosystem giving both environmental and economic benefits to coastal communities. In some places, former poachers now lead visitors to view nesting turtles as part of an ecotourism that provides alternative livelihoods.

Why not visit the Oceanic Society’s new Sea Turtle Conservation Priorities Dashboard? This tool has been designed to translate the study’s global assessment into actionable change. It enables conservationists, policymakers and the public to examine detailed population data, threats, and capacity worldwide.